Health Promotion Plan:
Immunization & Vaccine
Hesitancy
Submitted by: Terrence Gibson
Capella University
NURS-FPX4060
Introduction- Community Health
Promotion
? A nurseàcall is helping patients achieve a desired level of
wellbeing and health.
? This role extends to all people and communities.
? Nurses should be involved in community-based approaches
to care (Dudley et al., 2019).
? As caregivers of communities and polities, nurses participate
in community-initiatives that educate the public on
sweeping health issues.
? Community-health initiatives address health issues via
availing information and health services.
? This is especially true when crucial public health services like
vaccinations are hampered by a lack of information (or
misinformation) and access.
Why is Child Vaccination a Public
Health Issue?
? Child vaccination- the administration of immunizing
agents (pills, shots, nasal sprays etc.) as ways of
improving a childàimmune fortification (CDC, 2022).
? The immunizing agents work with the immune systems to
induce deliberate protection against specific lifethreatening diseases.
? Vaccinations have helped reduce the prevalence of
numerous life-threatening diseases (Fisher et al., 2022). .
? They help save 4 million lives annually and is estimated to
save 51 million lives between 2020 and 2030 (CDC, 2022).
? Diseases like Diphtheria, Measles, Mumps, Polio and
many others are mitigated through childhood
vaccination.
Cont
? Child vaccination takes place in a schedule, the first 24 months of a childÊlife.
? It includes immunization against Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (4 doses of
DPT), Polio (3 doses), Measles, Mumps & Rubella (1 MMR dose), Influenza,
Hepatitis B among others (CDC, 2022).
? It remains one of the safest and effective ways of reducing morbidity and
mortality of diseases.
? There are 25 safe vaccines for 25 different diseases.
? Vaccines helped eradicate smallpox and rinderpest.
? The success is largely due to coordinated efforts in the health sector (Fisher
et al., 2022). .
Vaccine Hesitancy in the US
? Childhood vaccination is a successful aspect of the US
public health system.
? 20 million disease infections and 40,000 deaths are
prevented every year (CDC, 2022).
? This saves $70 billion in healthcare costs to the public.
? Despite success, childhood vaccination averages in the US
have plateaued over the past years.
? The anti-vaccination movement has enhanced vaccine
hesitancy among some American parents (Fisher et al.,
2022).
? Vaccine hesitancy- the delay in acceptance or complete
refusal of vaccination.
Cont
? The US is the only country in the developed world with vaccination averages
below 90% (80.4%) as at 2021(CDC, 2022).
? They declined since 2015 with decline exacerbated during the COVID-19
pandemic.
? State averages range from 40-50% (in Alaska) to more than 95%
(Massachusetts).
? Vaccination varies according to various sociodemographic factors (Fisher et al.,
2022). :
1. African American- 37% hesitancy.
2. Hispanic- 30.1%.
3. Households with parents with high school diplomas or less- 31.9&
4. Households living below the poverty line- 35.6%.
Why Do These Disparities Exist?
? The most vulnerable population to vaccine hesitancy is either (McKee &
Bohannon, 2018:
1. Uneducated.
2. Does not have access to adequate information.
3. Cannot access vaccine services because of poverty.
? This explains the large proportion of marginalized group- they bear the
biggest brunt of education and healthcare inequality.
? Vaccine hesitancy became exacerbated during COVID-19 because of the
anti-vax movement.
? Most of the educated and financially capable people that embrace
vaccine hesitancy fall n this category.
The Anti-vax Movement:
? Although the anti-vax movement has been around
for a while, it gained significant ground around 2014
(Ventola, 2017).
? It gained popularity when ant-vaccination became
a topic of political ideology.
? The movement propagates misinformation, myths
and conspiracy theories regarding vaccinations
(Ventola, 2017):
1. The safety of vaccinations- anecdotes and
misinformation regarding side effects.
2. Conservative religious opinions and beliefs.
3. The exaggerated opinion of mandatory
vaccinations infringing on peopleàfreedoms and
fundamental rights.
Why Fight Back Using Health Promotion
? The increased popularity and divisiveness of anti-vaxxers threaten the
public health system.
? Reduced vaccinations threatens the re-emergence of dangerous diseases
that were controlled.
? Measles, a disease declared eliminated in the US in 2000 reemerged in 2014
(Ventola, 2017).
? This was the first of numerous reemergence events experienced since the
politicization of vaccines.
? The cost of these resurgences, health &safety of children and cost of
mitigations should motivate a health promotion initiative.
Objectives of the Health Promotion
Plan
? The objective of this health promotion plan is to fight back against the antivaccination movement.
? It would address three aspects of vaccine hesitancy- poverty, lack of
education and misinformation:
1. Reaching out to parents from vulnerable populations.
2. Availing credible information on success, safety and efficiency of vaccines
through interactive, community-based events.
3. Reiterate vaccinations as fundamental human rights and not infringements
on freedom.
4. Free vaccination clinics and other events aimed at making vaccinations
accessible to members of the public.
Conclusion
? The role of nurses extends to looking out to the health and wellbeing of
entire communities.
? This involves public outreach efforts to avail information and extending
services to marginalized.
? Such initiatives are increasingly important in tackling vaccine hesitation.
? The anti-vaccination movement has gained popularity among the
vulnerable- the uneducated and those with inadequate information.
? This health promotion program aims to tackle the root causes of its
popularity.
References
?
CDC. (2022, September 22). Fast Facts on Global Immunization. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/immunization/data/fast-facts.html
?
Dudley, M. Z., Privor-Dumm, L., Dub ., & MacDonald, N. E. (2019). Words matter: Vaccine
hesitancy, vaccine demand, vaccine confidence, herd immunity and mandatory
vaccination. Vaccine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.11.056
?
Fisher, A., Srivastav, A., Lindley, M. C., Nguyen, K., Kim, D., Greby, S. M., Lee, J., & Singleton, J. A.
(2022). Parental Vaccine Hesitancy and Association With Childhood Diphtheria, Tetanus Toxoid,
and Acellular Pertussis; Measles, Mumps, and Rubella; Rotavirus; and Combined 7-Series
Vaccination. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 62(3), 367÷6.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2021.08.015
?
McKee, C., & Bohannon, K. (2018). Exploring the Reasons Behind Parental Refusal of
Vaccines. The Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 21(2), 104p9.
https://doi.org/10.5863/1551-6776-21.2.104
?
Ventola, C. L. (2017). Immunization in the United States: Recommendations, Barriers, and
Measures to Improve Compliance: Part 1: Childhood Vaccinations. P & T : A Peer-Reviewed
Journal for Formulary Management, 41(7), 42636.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4927017/

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